Sunday, April 30, 2017

It is literally the original hotel in Las Vegas, built in 1906 and given the address 1 Fremont St. It was originally the Hotel Nevada, then in 31 it became a casino and was renamed Sal Sagev, Las Vegas backwards until 1955 when a group of Italian-Americans from San Francisco rethemed it into the Golden Gate.

Fast forward to today and this isn’t what you would expect out of a 110 year old property. This is the very definition of classic. It’s old without being dated, it’s small without feeling cramped and it's themed without being gaudy. Much of that can be attributed to it’s most recent owners, Greg and Derek Stevens. Their 2012 renovation may be the most subtle and functional ever in a place that doesn’t really have any space to grow. With 122 rooms Golden Gate is the smallest hotel/casino in Vegas on Fremont or the Strip but again, that somehow adds to it’s charm.

And the future looks even brighter. The Stevens group’s recent acquisition of La Bayou next door seems to indicate plans for expansion of the Golden Gate. And the purchase of the Las Vegas Club, Glitter Gultch and Mermaids across the street makes it clear that they are making their claim to shape Fremont St as they see fit. Those who are fans of the D have reason to believe a players club card that connects all 3 properties is coming soon.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

During the filming of the James Bond Film Diamonds areForever,producer CubbyBroccoli and his wife, longtime friends of Howard Hughes from this film making days,had their hotel roombroken into andwere robbed while they slept. In a very Bond like manor, hotel security suspected that chloroform gas was used to ensure the Broccolis did not wake up while the crime was being committed! The followingnight, theBroccoli's found two men standing outside their door waiting for them. One of them explained, "Compliments of Mr. Howard Hughes, Mr. Broccoli. Our orders are to stay here round the clock until you leave." (Vintage Research)

Twitpic of the week

I swear I’ve written this monolog before or at the very least felt this way several times in the past.One of the reasons I love doing “Twitpic of the week” is because every once in a while, someone shares a view of Vegas I’m sure I’ve seen many times before but never fully appreciated. The primary reason I’ve never done the $20 trick is I like the luck of the draw.I’m sure many of you can relate to the excitement of heading right to the window after checking into your room to see what view you’ll being enjoy for the next week. While it means occasionally I get to enjoy the side of a building or fields of air conditioning I think it makes me appreciate it more when I get views like the one shared by @brewjersey. Whether it was planned or just luck, thank you @brewjersey for sharing it.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

A tile art mosaic roughly 40 foot in diameter and split evenly, like a reflecting pool inside a poker chip, was unveiled at McCarran Airport near level 1 baggage claim in August of 2016.The art represents the past with properties like the Landmark, Dunes, Sands and events like Nuclear tests and Evil Kneivel's jump over the Fountains at Caesars Palace; The present is represented by properties like Luxor, Wynn, Stratosphere and iconic landmarks like the Mirage volcano and High Roller observation wheel.The mosaic was part of a $30 million dollar renovation to terminal 1

Twitpic of the week

It’s one of those things you have to see in Vegas.It’s the kind of thing you would expect to find at Venetian, Caesars or Bellagio instead of that WTF thing they have on the lobby ceiling.Tropicana’s 4,000 square foot stained glass ceiling, known as the Tiffany ceiling, is gorgeous, iconic and sets the mood for a classic Vegas gaming environment.In the multiple proposed renovation and expansions it has been threatened to be removed but to date, it has stood the test of time. That being said, be sure to make a point of seeing it before it’s too late. Thank you, once again, to friend of the show Scott Roeben aka @VitalVegas for sharing not only this picture but his gifted skill as a photographer